Plant closure threat to 1,700 jobs

A meat factory which employs more than 1,700 people could be forced to close, it has been announced.

PUBLISHED: 21:43, Thu, Jul 5, 2012

Hall's of Broxburn, a processing facility for Scottish pork used to make pork sausages, is facing cl [PA]

Vion Food UK, which owns Hall's of Broxburn, said the plant was loss-making despite heavy investment in the site over the last four years.

The company said it was beginning a 90-day consultation exercise with workers and unions at its West Lothian site.

Finance Secretary John Swinney visited the factory on Thursday afternoon and set up a public/private sector taskforce designed to safeguard jobs and opportunities for the food industry.

Speaking after its first meeting in Broxburn, Mr Swinney said: "The taskforce agreed that its key focus is maintaining continuity of business at Hall's of Broxburn and we are entirely committed to that exercise.

"We have drawn together all of the relevant government agencies, local agencies and political representatives to focus on ensuring we deliver a positive economic future for the workforce and community of Broxburn. The taskforce has had a positive start and will take forward a number of practical actions before re-convening on July 30."

The taskforce is comprised of company representatives, Usdaw (the Union of Shop, Distributive and Allied Workers), West Lothian Council, the local MP and MSP, Scottish Enterprise, Scottish Development International, Skills Development Scotland, Job Centre Plus and Quality Meat Scotland.

Rural Affairs Secretary Richard Lochhead met the National Farmers' Union in Scotland, Quality Meat Scotland and Scottish Pig Producers. He said: "Today has been a difficult day for both the West Lothian and the wider Scottish community - particularly the pig sector and agricultural industry. Hall's is a major food business in a major Scottish sector and the taskforce has been set up to ensure this can continue."

Vion UK chairman Peter Barr said the company has been making "huge" losses and had no alternative but to close. He said: "Every possible step has been taken to secure the future of the business but we are currently losing £79,000 per day at the site, which is clearly unsustainable"

The factory was bought by Vion Food Group in August 2008 and currently employs 1,150 permanent and 595 agency staff. It is a major processing facility for Scottish pork used to make sausages and other meat products, handling around 8,000 pigs each week.